Adolescence is a time of heightened psychological risk for girls. Biology, culture, psychology, and trauma leave many girls vulnerable to periods of crisis and negative life experiences, including juvenile justice involvement.

Girls In The Juvenile Justice System

Despite falling crime rates, more adolescent girls are arrested and incarcerated in the United States today than ever before. Nearly three-quarters of a million girls below the age of 18 were arrested by the police in 1997¹, accounting for 26% of total juvenile arrests. Since 1993, the number of arrests among female adolescents has increased more for most offense types, in comparison with males.²

Most girls are still arrested for non-violent, often drug-related crimes, however. According to FBI Uniform Crime Reports, the largest numbers of arrests among girls are for larceny (usually shoplifting) and running away.³ Although female offenders are a diverse group, many are children of color, have had significant academic difficulties, have been victims of abuse (physical, sexual, and/or emotional), come from families living in poor and unstable communities, and are substance users. Many have a sexually transmitted disease or other chronic health condition.⁴

Females bring with them into the juvenile justice system complex health and mental health issues related to sexual behavior, substance abuse, trauma, and violence. In many cases, involvement in the juvenile justice system exacerbates the difficulties they face as adolescent girls.

Treatment Needs Of Girls In The Juvenile Justice System

• Adolescent female offenders exhibit high rates of mental health problems. Girls have higher rates of depression than boys throughout adolescence and are more likely to attempt suicide. Low self-esteem, negative body image, and substance abuse are also common problems for adolescent girls. A number of prevalence studies done in state juvenile justice systems show females to have higher rates of mental health problems than their male counterparts. A study of juvenile offenders in Georgia Youth Detention Centers, for example, revealed that nearly 60% of girls met criteria for an anxiety disorder (in contrast to 32% among boys); 59% of girls had a mood disorder (versus 22% of boys).⁵ Suicide attempts and self-mutilation by girls are particular problems in juvenile facilities. Characteristics of the detention environment (e.g. seclusion, staff insensitivity, loss of privacy) can add to the negative feelings and loss of control girls feel, resulting in suicide attempts and self-mutilation.

• The substance abuse treatment needs of females involved in the juvenile justice system are particularly acute. Arrests for drug abuse violations have increased markedly over the past few years for adolescent females,⁶ and, in a number of cities, nearly 60% to 70% of young women (aged 15-20) test positive for drugs at the time of arrest.⁷ Studies show from 60% to 87% of adolescent female offenders need substance abuse treatment.⁸ Many of these young women may be self-medicating with illegal substances in attempt to cope with stress or mental health difficulties, such as anxiety or depression. Research has shown a strong connection between exposure to trauma and abuse (e.g. sexual abuse and family violence) and substance use among girls.

• Adolescent girls who come into contact with the juvenile justice system report extraordinarily high levels of abuse and trauma. Incarcerated girls report significantly more physical and sexual abuse than boys, with more than 70% of girls reporting such experiences.⁹ More than one third of girls (34%) incarcerated in probation camps and detention centers in Los Angeles County reported sustaining an injury as a result of physical punishment as a child, while more than half (56%) reported witnessing the homicide of a close friend or relative.¹⁰ As a result of repeated exposure to multiple forms of violence and trauma, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is prevalent among adolescent girls in the juvenile justice system, with nearly 50% meeting diagnostic criteria for the disorder.¹¹

• Adolescent female offenders face significant challenges with parenting and other interpersonal relationships. Many girls who enter the juvenile justice system are pregnant or are already parents, and separation from their young children may result in substantial emotional and practical difficulties for them. Girls need help in negotiating gender and family roles and in determining appropriate boundaries within relationships.

Improving Care For Girls In The Juvenile Justice System

Juvenile justice systems around the country are struggling to contend with the serious medical and mental health needs of adolescent girls. Most facilities and programs have been designed with boys in mind. Juvenile justice systems need to develop specific programs for girls that focus on building relationships, addressing victimization, and improving self-esteem.

• Adolescent girls have multiple and unique programming needs, including: health care, education, mental health treatment, mutual support and mentoring opportunities, prenatal care and parenting skills, substance abuse prevention and treatment, job training, and family support/strengthening services.

• Adolescent female offenders have complex and sometimes conflictual relationships with family members, boyfriends/relationship partners, and children which present special challenges for their reintegration and rehabilitation. Appropriate treatment of adolescent female offenders must address these kinds of family issues, as well as issues such as violence and conflict in dating relationships.

• Many adolescent girls will not seek mental health treatment or other forms of support for themselves, instead relying upon internalization, avoidance, and self-harm as coping strategies. Juvenile justice personnel and mental health professionals working with these young women must be cautious not to re-traumatize girls who have been abused or victimized,¹² while encouraging them to learn appropriate coping strategies and constructively explore and resolve their feelings.